New Pico Controllers bring accuracy, speed and flexibility to desktop 3D printers and portable 3D scanners

Texas Instruments (TI) announced new DLP Pico controllers that deliver advanced light control capabilities in smaller form factors for mass-market 3D scanners and 3D printers. DLPC347x controllers offer the micron-to-sub-millimeter resolution typically found in high-performance, industrial-grade applications in a smaller form factor for desktop 3D printers and portable 3D scanners.

Developers can pair the new DLPC3470, DLPC3478 or DLPC3479 controller with one of four existing DLP Pico digital micromirror devices (DMDs) to design a variety of battery-powered and handheld designs. The high resolution and fast switching speed of the DMDs and new controllers enable 3D printing speeds five times faster than existing technologies. With precision pattern control in a smaller form factor, developers can capture the fine details of an object with micron-level accuracy, which benefits applications like dental scanning, 3D modeling and 3D vision for robotics.

Key features and benefits of DLPC347x controllers :

• Bringing DLP Pico display technology to new applications: Industry-leading pico display expertise now includes high-speed, high-resolution precision light control previously only found in the industrial-grade DLP4500 to DLP9000 chipsets. The combination of these capabilities allows optical module manufacturers and developers to create smaller 3D printing and 3D scanning designs with higher precision.
• Size versatility: By pairing one of the new controllers with a DLP2010 (480p), DLP2010NIR (480p), DLP3010 (720p) or DLP4710 (1080p) DMD, which range in diagonal size from 0.2 to 0.47 inches, developers can create customized solutions by combining the controllers and DMDs that best fit their applications. This capability allows for easy integration into a variety of low-power 3D scanners and 3D printers.
• Optimized precision, speed and wavelength: Micron-level accuracy captures the fine details of a 3D-printed object and enables smooth, high-quality 3D-printed objects with pattern and pixel control across 405-nm ultraviolet (UV), visible and near-infrared (NIR) light up to 2,500 nm.
• Enables faster time to market: TI collaborates with an extensive ecosystem of optical engine manufacturers to give developers a path to production-ready optical engines, which can reduce design time and get products to market faster.

Availability and pricing :

Preproduction samples of the DLPC3470, DLPC3478 and DLPC3479 controllers are available for request on TI.com. Production samples of the DLPC3470 and DLPC3478 controllers will be available in 3Q 2018, and the DLPC3479 controller will be available in 1Q 2019. The DLPC3470, DLPC3478 and DLPC3479 are priced at US$28.85, US$30.50 and US$30.50, respectively, in 1,000-unit quantities.